Fire-escape.



I. F. OTTO.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 20. m2.

Lwwgm Patented May 18,1915.

ii 13E ea FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1915.

Application filed August 20, 1912. Serial No. 716,057.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Isaac FoRREsT OTTO, acitizen of the United States, residing at Taneytown, in the county ofCarroll and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fire- Escapes; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to fire escapes of the folding ladder type and itconsists of the provision in fire escapes of this class of means forsecuring the folding member of the fire escape in inoperative position,said holding means serving also the purpose of a circuit closer of anelectric alarm circuit, automatically operated when the ladder isunfolded or brought to operative position.

With this object in View, the invention consists in the improvedconstruction, arrangement and combination of the parts of a device ofthe character specified, which will be hereinafter fully described,- andafterward specifically claimed.

In order that the construction and operation thereof may be readilycomprehended, I will now proceed to fully describe my invention inconnection with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an approvedembodiment thereof, and in which drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention complete in position foruse, Fig. 2 is a similar View showing my fire escape folded in compactand attractive form, Fig. 3 is a detail view showing my folding fireescape disposed in a compact and folded position and illustrating meansfor anchoring the same to the wall or other support, Fig. 1 shows asimilar view to that illustrated in Fig. 3 and showing my fire escape asin an unfolded condition, Fig. 5 is a detail view showing a section ofmy improved fire escape in a folded condition and illustrating portionof an electric circuit, Fig. 6 shows my ladder proper provided withclamping means which will hold it in an extended or unfolded condition,as will be desirable when used as a ladder, and, Fig. 7 shows simple,though efficient, means for connecting two sections of my fire escape orladder in permanent union with each other.

Like reference characters mark the same parts wherever they appear in aplurality of the figures of the drawings.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 1 and 2 indicate two ladderuprights, each of which is in form substantially one-half of a tubelongitudinally divided and said uprights 1 and 2 are pivotally connectedtogether by a plurality of tread members or ladder rounds 3, shown indetail in Fig. 4, and formed of tubing of proper length engaged at eachend on a suitable bolt or pintle 4t passing therethrough whereby thesaid sections may be readily brought together, the result being that thefolded ladder will present a tube-like appearance against the wall ofthe building. Suitable washers 5 may be interposed between the edges ofthe uprights 1 and 2 and said rounds, whereby the said rounds will beheld centrally disposed relative to said uprights 1 and 2.

The upright 1 is secured to the wall, preferably by hooks 6 anchored inthe wall in any desired manner, as by means of heads or nuts 7. I preferto form recesses in the edge of the upright 1, whereby the hooks will beaccommodated so as to present no obstruction to the contiguous edge ofthe upright 2, when the latter is folded against the upright 1.

To the upright 1, I secure at any preferred point thereon a plug or post8 of non-conducting material as of fiber or the like, and to said post Isecure a pair of spring fingers 9, normally in contact with each other,but adapted to be separated by a post 10 of fiber, glass or othernon-conducting material, carried by the upright 2 at a point thereonwhich will insure that the said post 10 will readily enter between theoutwardly curved ends of the spring fingers .9, and it is obvioustherefore that, when the uprights 1 and 2 are in contact with eachother, as when the fire escape is folded, the said non-conducting post10, will have entered between the spring fingers 9 so that said fingerswill be held apart. When my improved fire escape is in an unfolded oroperative condition, the said fingers 9 will be withdrawn off the plug10, thereby permitting said spring fingers to move into contact witheach other, thus completing an electric circuit through wires 11attached to said fingers. Any number of bells or other alarms may beconnected up in the electric circuit of the wires 11, and said wires mayextend to different points throughout the building.

Obviously, when my improved fire escape is folded whereby the uprights'1 andQ'will be in contact with each other, the electric circuit will bebroken, through-the interposition of the non-conducting plug 10 betweenthe spring members 9, but when the uprights 1 and 2 are separated, theplug 10 will have passed from between the fingers 9, thereby folded orinoperative position, wherein as before described, the circuit is brokenby the interposition of said plug between the fingers.

At a point opposite each window is a handle 12, andanyperson'desiring toplace the fire escape in condition foruse may'push lightly outwardlyupon said handle, with the hand or foot, causing the upright 2 to swingby gravity into its'operative position, parallel with the upright 1,leaving the rounds 3 in a horizontal position ready for instant use.

In Fig. 2 my improved foldingfire escape presents the appearance, whenfolded, of an ordinary line ofpiping, whiohmaybep'ainted 'orotherwi'seprotected or decorated.

In Fig. 6 I have shown my improved'fire 'not'in use. The sections 13 maybe pivoted "on the pintle 4, which passes through the ladder rounds, thesaid brace 18 being extended through a suitable slot 15 in said 7 round,as clearly shown in Fig. 6. In like manner the brace 14 is provided witha suitable hooked end to reach into a slot 16 in the lower side of thecontiguous ladder round, into engagement with the pintleor bolt uponwhich said round is; pivoted.

I-Iavingthu's fully describedmy invention, what I claim as new is: i

Incombination, a fire escape of the folding ladder type compri'sing,parallel 'upright-members, a; plurality oftread members pivotedat eachend to, and connecting said upright members, adaptedto permit ofthecollapsing of the ladder, and aplurality of brace members pivoted withinone of said tread members each having a folding hook section hookedwithin the neighboring tread member-to brace said device in openposition. i

In testimony whereof I havesigned my name to'this specificationin thepresence of two'subscribing witnesses.

' ISAAC FORREST or ro.

Witnesses:

FRANKLIN I-LSEIss, GEORGE H. BIRNIE.

O'opies'of thispatent may be obtaineddor flve nts eachjby addressing-theCommissioner of Patents, Washingtonfl). 0'.

